These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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First flight with civilians from Afghanistan since evacuation arrives in Qatar
The first international commercial flight since the end of last month’s chaotic Western airlift from Afghanistan left Kabul airport on Thursday (Sept 9) with more than 100 passengers on board, officials said.
As well as offering hope to people still stranded in Afghanistan and fearful of the new Taliban government, the event marked an important step in the Islamist group’s efforts to bring a degree of normality back to a country facing economic collapse and a humanitarian crisis.
“We managed to fly the first plane with passengers just an hour ago,” Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said in Islamabad, thanking Taliban leaders for helping reopen the airport.
About 113 passengers were on board, including US, Canadian, Ukrainian, German and British citizens, a source with knowledge of the matter said.
The flight, operated by state-owned Qatar Airways, later landed at Doha’s Hamad International Airport, Al Jazeera news channel reported.
The source said the passengers were taken to Kabul airport in a Qatari convoy after safe passage was agreed. - Straits Times
Sarawak needs Covid-19 booster shot earliest by next month
Sarawak welcomes Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin's announcement to study the need of booster shots to counter the situation in the state, which has been reporting the highest daily Covid-19 cases in the country over the past few days.
State Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian said Sarawak has been working closely with the Health Ministry since the start of the Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme (NIP), which resulted in the high vaccination rate in the state.
Besides, the state was also the first to kick-start vaccination for teenagers below 18.
"This time, we are looking forward to having the minister (Khairy) visit Sarawak next week and to discuss the booster shots.
"Based on professional observation, we need the additional shots as early as next month for those who still have no immunity or immunity wane," he said in a Facebook post.
Yesterday, Khairy said his ministry was unsure what is driving the Covid-19 transmission in Sarawak and has not ruled out the waning effect of vaccines. He said what happened in Sarawak could possibly happen in other states. - New Straits Times
Senators to decide on 2-ballot system
The fate of the government coalition's charter amendment bill remains uncertain as the support of senators could go either way on Friday in the Senate.
The bill requires the support of at least one-third of the Senate, or 84 senators, to pass its third and final reading.
However, a Senate source on Thursday said most of the 250 senators, particularly those who were appointed by the coup-makers, were waiting for instructions on how to vote on the bill.
The source believed they will be encouraged to vote against the bill, which seeks to restore the kingdom's previous two-ballot voting system. If the bill fails the current single-ballot system would stay in place.
Government legal experts believe the return of the two-ballot system would favour the main opposition Pheu Thai Party as well as Capt Thamanat Prompow's new party.
Capt Thamanat was removed from his deputy agriculture minister post by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday, the source said. A faction of at least 25 MPs is expected to leave the ruling-Palang Pracharath Party to form the Phayao Party with Capt Thamanat, the source said, noting the group has a political stronghold in the North.
If the two-ballot system was restored, it could help the new party win up to 50 House seats in the next election, and have enough support to join forces with the Pheu Thai party to challenge the PPRP, the source said. Then, the House would likely dissolve next year because the government would face mounting pressure from inside and outside of parliament for an election, which could lead to the downfall of the PPRP, the source said. - Bangkok Post
Pangasinan's most wanted person falls
Police arrested the No. 1 most wanted person in Pangasinan — a suspect in the ambush of former Governor Amado Espino Jr. three years ago.
In a phone interview on Friday, Pangasinan Police Provincial Office information officer, Maj. Arturo Melchor Jr., identified the suspect as Paraon Tamondong, 46, of Barangay Camambugan.
“He has been in hiding for a long time but when he was monitored to be in his residence the warrants of arrest were served to him Thursday late afternoon and resulted in his arrest,” he said.
Tamondong has standing warrants of arrest dated Feb. 15, 2021, issued by the San Carlos City, Pangasinan Regional Trial Court Branch 56 for two counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, and frustrated murder.
“He is currently detained at the Urbiztondo Police Station then he will be transferred to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology,” he said. - Philippine News Agency
Support for frontline workers urgently needed
Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son, head of the ministry’s special taskforce in HCM City for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, has sent a document to the city’s Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control outlining the dire conditions for medical staff and proposals to improve them.
In the official letter, Son said that to improve the quality of life of medical staff, on September 4, the ministry’s special taskforce in HCM City for COVID-19 Prevention and Control worked with several field hospitals.
The taskforce highly appreciated the working spirit and attitude of medical staff, who have overcome difficulties during the hardship of the pandemic when everything is lacking. The medical staff has gained expertise, ensuring the treatment and care guidelines of the Ministry of Health, the document said.
However, the taskforce also discovered some problems, directly affecting the health and mental health of medical staff serving at field hospitals in the area. - Vietnam News
‘Delta’ surges again with another 408 cases detected – Phnom Penh worst hit
‘Delta’ cases in Cambodia increased yet again today with 408 new cases bringing the total up to 3,731.
This follows the announcement of 676 new cases yesterday.
Phnom Penh is now the worst hit province with 1256 cases. In addition, Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey, Siem Reap, Battambang, Preah Vihear, Kandal, Tbong Khmum and Stung Treng provinces have high infection rates.
Kep is so far the only province to escape the mutated virus.
Professor Mam Bunheng, Minister of Health, urged the public to remain vigilant and protect themselves.
The Ministry of Health also noted that the current rate of infection is increasing among young people who go out a lot or meet friends. The ministry calls on all young people to be vigilant and prevent the spread of COVID 19 virus. - Khmer Times
NUG's battle cry triggers panic shopping, but no immediate escalation of violence
Tensions were high in Myanmar’s two largest cities a day after the country’s shadow government made its latest bid to increase pressure on the regime that seized power in February.
The National Unity Government (NUG) announced on Tuesday that it was calling for a “resistance war” against the military junta, triggering panic buying and other signs of unease in Yangon and Mandalay, according to residents.
Bombings and other attacks on targets linked to the regime have also led to heightened security in both cities, residents said.
State media reported an explosion near the Bayintnaung Bridge in Yangon’s Mayangone Township on Wednesday morning and another blast near an electricity office in Thingangyun Township in the afternoon. There was no mention of casualties.
Local residents told Myanmar Now that they heard gunshots near the Bayintnaung Bridge at around 10am, at roughly the same time as the explosion, but this could not be confirmed. - Myanmar NOW
Women entrepreneurs must become technologically literate: ministry
Women entrepreneurs need to become technologically literate to compete amid the pandemic, assistant deputy for gender equality policy formulation at the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA), Muhammad Ihsan, has said.
"They need to adapt by using information technology so that they can increase their capacity and are ready to compete, even in this pandemic situation," he explained at a webinar entitled 'The Role of Women in the Pandemic Period', which was accessed from here on Thursday.
According to Ihsan, the COVID-19 pandemic has widened the gender equality gap.
The pandemic, which has lasted for around 1.5 years, has had a negative impact on women: for example, it has increased the domestic burden on women, led to a rise in the number of domestic violence cases, layoffs, and divorce rates, and a decrease in family incomes, especially for women entrepreneurs, he noted.
"This more or less interferes with the development of gender equality and women's empowerment," he said.
The PPPA Ministry has made efforts to overcome this by assisting women entrepreneurs, especially women from vulnerable groups, through online training on entrepreneurship, Ihsan said. - AntaraNews.Com